igneous
adjective
ig·ne·ous
| \ ˈig-nē-əs
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Definition of igneous
1
: of, relating to, or resembling fire : fiery
2a
: relating to, resulting from, or suggestive of the intrusion or extrusion of magma or volcanic activity
b
: formed by solidification of magma
igneous rock
Examples of igneous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tiny igneous zircon grains within this rock fragment were fractured by the launch from Mars but otherwise unaltered for more than 4.4 billion years. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "When did life have a chance on Mars? After giant meteorites stopped hitting it 4.4 billion years ago," 24 June 2019 Down there, salt water begins to mix and move through igneous rocks like olivine. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Pangea Gave Us Modern Oceans," 10 June 2019 Situated in the far southwest corner of the San Francisco Volcanic Field — a swath of impressive igneous features that arcs from Williams to Flagstaff in northern Arizona — Davenport Hill is an anthill among giants. — Mare Czinar, azcentral, "You'll probably have the summit to yourself on this shady summer hike," 7 June 2019 Metamorphic and igneous rocks are denser and less porous and so are more electrically resistive. — National Geographic, "Solar storms can be even worse if you live near certain rocks," 18 Mar. 2019 This whorl of igneous material became a vineyard 20 years ago, when brothers Peter and Arpad Molnar first planted Cabernet Sauvignon here. — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "The rise of the Red Hills of Lake County," 1 June 2018 The massive cascade tumbles over black-brown basalt rock, an igneous rock born of billion-year-old lava flows. — Chelsey Lewis, USA TODAY, "Seven natural wonders in Wisconsin," 16 Mar. 2018 The massive cascade tumbles over black-brown basalt rock, an igneous rock born of billion-year-old lava flows. — Chelsey Lewis, USA TODAY, "Seven natural wonders in Wisconsin," 16 Mar. 2018 The massive cascade tumbles over black-brown basalt rock, an igneous rock born of billion-year-old lava flows. — Chelsey Lewis, USA TODAY, "Seven natural wonders in Wisconsin," 16 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'igneous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for igneous
igneous
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of igneous
technical
: formed when hot, liquid rock cools and becomes hard
See the full definition for igneous in the English Language Learners Dictionary
igneous
adjective
ig·ne·ous
| \ ˈig-nē-əs
\
\
Kids Definition of igneous
: formed by hardening of melted mineral material within the earth
igneous rock